


Underground

by Menya_Savut



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16996698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menya_Savut/pseuds/Menya_Savut
Summary: An exploration of an atmosphere.





	Underground

It was nearly 2 AM. But there were still patients to attend to, and Nico didn’t think Will would be finishing anytime soon. He sat on an empty cot in the makeshift infirmary, watching Will hurry up and down the rows of beds, dressing wounds and administering medicine.

Will passed by his cot again. “Go to bed, Nico,” he said, for the fourth time that night.

“I’m not leaving you,” said Nico.

The door of the room swung open; it was Percy, dressed for bed.

“It’s late, Will,” said Percy. “You should rest.”

“I can’t, Percy; I really can’t,” said Will. “I have to make sure everyone’s stabilized...but Nico needs to sleep.”

“I’ll take him,” Percy said. Nico could see the roughness of his face in the dim light. “Nico—”

“ _No,_ ” said Nico. “I’m staying here with Will.”

“Come on,” said Percy quietly, and at the same time, Will said, “Nico.”

Will was just trying to take care of him, and Nico was just trying to take care of Will. They were trying to take care of each other, back and forth to infinity, Nico thought, and right now the best way to help his boyfriend was to make sure he didn’t have to worry about him. So Nico stood up and walked to Percy.

“Goodnight,” he murmured to Will, as Percy closed the door behind them.

They moved down the hallway toward Percy’s hotel room. Around them, the building was quiet; most of the others had already gone to sleep. Even Nico’s footsteps were muffled by the faded carpet.

Percy had traveled alone, so his room had only one bed.

“Do you mind if we share?” Percy asked. “Or I can sleep on the couch if you want.”

Nico shook his head. “It’s fine.”

He knew he was being short with Percy, knew it wasn’t fair to take his anger out on him.

Percy moved around the room, turning off the lights. Nico sat down on one side of the bed, and Percy took the other.

They lay down to sleep. Nico’s limbs felt restless. The room was too hot, or the traffic outside their window was too loud...Percy lay still beside him, facing away.

Nico pushed the covers off of himself. He turned his head to the side and shifted his body. He felt claustrophobic. He tried again, splaying his arms above his head.

Percy turned, facing him. “Can’t sleep?”

Nico shifted again and tried to take a deep breath, but to his horror the breath turned into a shuddering sob.

“Nico...”

Percy’s arms were around him; his face pressed into Nico’s neck. Instinctively, Nico’s arms wound around Percy.

“Shh, shh...”

Nico didn’t want Percy; he wanted Will – no, he wanted _Jason,_ but Jason was fucking dead, and all the powers of the Underworld would never bring him back—

“I’m sorry,” Percy murmured. Nico felt the press of lips on his tearstained cheek. All around them was darkness.

He clung tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> special thanks to ernest hemingway for turning me into the monster i am  
> the title comes from dostoyevsky's "notes from the underground" because i haven't referenced that too many times, no


End file.
